Disaster Preparedness in a Virtual World

Nurse Practitioners will be involved in a real emergency at different levels depending on their role as a nurse practitioner. An emergency room nurse or occupational/industrial nurse practitioner has a greater potential to see and work a disaster on a large scale.  Disasters both manmade and natural are an ever present part of our life.  Veenema (2006) stated “Although nurses comprise the largest group of health care professionals, our inability to effectively handle an attack has proven to be a hindrance. In the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster, nurses were eager to offer assistance, but many lacked

proper training in communicating with disaster management teams and in specific skills that are helpful when dealing with victims and their families.” Pg 94.

So, how can faculty better prepare all nurse practitioners for a possible disaster and familiarize them with their role? Using a virtual world such as Second Life is one option. Our School of Nursing has collaborated with of Department of Criminal Justice and our Emergency Medical Care program to create a disaster scenario. The disaster – an earthquake results in multiple injuries and deaths and is played out from beginning to completion of victim recovery. Students take different roles based upon their area of learning and faculty stay in the background and observe. In the virtual world student s are able to talk with each other, they physically see each other and they can see the disaster scene and the victims. There is also a hospital and emergency transportation.  Nurse practitioners learn to prioritize, delegate and triage. For nurse practitioners who do not work in a typical “emergency” area they learn protocols and standards that apply only in emergency events.

Objectives:

1.      Discuss the importance of Disaster Preparedness in the role of the Nurse Practitioner

2.      Discuss an Incident Action Plan and how NP faculty can use it as part of a Disaster Preparedness Scenario

3.      View part of an actual Virtual Disaster Preparedness drill

4.      Discuss pros and cons of implementing a Virtual Disaster Preparedness drill in your program.